System for processing examinational information of medical image, and data processing apparatus in such system

Abstract

Examinational information for identifying non-DICOM-format images obtained by a medical imaging apparatus can be acquired whenever necessary. A medical imaging apparatus outputs character information representing examinational information data received from a server through a terminal and captured medical image data to a data processing apparatus. The data processing apparatus acquires examinational information data corresponding to the medical image data from the server in advance, and stores and manages the examinational information data in a local database of the data processing apparatus. It is thus possible to acquire desired examinational information from the local database whenever necessary to generate DICOM data.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A data processing apparatus in a system for processing examinational information of medical images, said system having a server for storing and managing examinational information data for identifying an image obtained by a medical imaging apparatus, and said data processing apparatus for merging data of the image obtained by said medical imaging apparatus and the examinational information data from said server into data in a predetermined format, said server and said data processing apparatus being connected to each other by a communication link, said data processing apparatus comprising: 
 a local database for storing and managing said examinational information data; and    comparing means for comparing examinational information data newly read from said server and examinational information data that have already been stored in said local database with each other, and storing the newly read examinational information data into said local database only when the newly read examinational information data have not been stored in said local database.    
     
     
         2 . A data processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 periodically data reading means for periodically reading said examinational information data from said server.    
     
     
         3 . A data processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 list displaying means for displaying, on a display unit, a list of examinational information that is produced by merging examinational information data newly read from said server and examinational information data that have already been stored in said local database.    
     
     
         4 . A data processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 list displaying means for displaying, on a display unit, a list of examinational information that is produced by merging examinational information data newly read from said server and examinational information data that have already been stored in said local database.    
     
     
         5 . A system for processing examinational information of medical images, said system having a server for storing and managing examinational information data for identifying an image obtained by a medical imaging apparatus, and a data processing apparatus for merging data of the image obtained by said medical imaging apparatus and the examinational information data from said server into data in a predetermined format, said server and said data processing apparatus being connected to each other by a communication link, said data processing apparatus comprising: 
 a local database for storing and managing said examinational information data; and    comparing means for comparing examinational information data newly read from said server and examinational information data that have already been stored in said local database with each other, and storing the newly read examinational information data into said local database only when the newly read examinational information data have not been stored.    
     
     
         6 . A system according to  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 a terminal connected to said communication link for receiving and outputting examinational information data that have been stored in said server when the medical imaging apparatus is used; and    a communication monitoring device connected to said communication link for logging communication data transmitted between said terminal and said server,    wherein said communication monitoring device transmits the examinational information data to said data processing apparatus when said communication monitoring device detects reception by said terminal of said examinational information data from said server.    
     
     
         7 . A system according to  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 a terminal connected to said communication link for receiving and outputting examinational information data that have been stored in said server when the medical imaging apparatus is used; and    a communication monitoring device connected to said communication link for monitoring data communications between said terminal and said server,    wherein said communication monitoring device sends a command to said server to copy predetermined data included in the examinational information data stored in said server to said local database when data communications between said terminal and said server are detected.